Is it parental guilt? A relic notion of “modesty”? The preservation instinct of the self employed?

Why, even in situations when the return on investment is quite obvious, does this feel so uncomfortable?

For instance, this weekend there’s a kids’ book conference, and I dilly dallied over whether or not to go. I even reached out to my writers’ circle on Facebook, seeking an impartial thumbs up or down. Their reply:

I recently wrote this to a friend, a new mom having a tough day. If any of you moms (or dads) find yourself in this situation, I’m writing to you now.

Letter to a New Mom

You’re going through an overwhelmingly incredible moment in your life right now. I don’t need to tell you about all the joys a new baby brings. You know all about those. And people love talking to you about those.

What you might not know (and people are less likely to talk about) are the valleys that come with peaks.